Tap Dancing in the Knitting Factory
Can you believe it, I'm actually in the mood for an entry. Lately online has been scary for me and I've tried to sever any lines that ran from the computer into my real life. I'm still debating on making this friends only or not.
I stayed in the city the past two nights at my Manhattan house. NewRes 6B is the place to be. I'm really happy to have people like Jen, Kate, Kelley, and Lianna in my life. They make me happy and they are glad I don't have cancer. And sometimes Lianna cooks dinner for me and we all pig out on Tofutii icecream. Joe is great too.
Anyway, I've been wearing the same clothes for the past three days and I didn't even like what I was wearing in the first place [this mostly having to do with my wearing black almost dressy shoes with jeans] But it was cold and my tennis shoes had holes in them! Tennis Shoes. I play tennis in them. ! I want to play tennis.
I will be home in three days and it will make me the happiest boy alive.
Last night I was walking into the NewRes [New Residence Dorm] and I saw Travis and Veronica outside. But this time Travis wasn't drunk and yelling really close to my face about "Tom and Jerry's" being the best icecream ever. [he'd be embarrassed that I wrote that] Anyway he tells me he's going to Bright Eyes and I told him that I didn't know about it in time to get a ticket [because even though there are tons of shows in the city, you have to know about them a month in advance [at least] because they sell out like ... like.. yourmother.]
So I says, I ain't got no ticket and he says he's got an extra one. And I says, !. He tells me they are selling on Ebay for $100 [I almost put a link to Ebay because I think it would be very funny][but I didn't so don't even try it!] But he would sell it to me for $20. Meh. So I went.
And it was hot outside. And by hot I mean 55 degrees.. but it felt warm. We [Travis and these two hip girls, Corrie [who hated being touched and was flipping out at the show] and Natalia [some chick from Russia [even though I didn't hear an accent] that I rode the subway halfway home with and she taught me some russian][Prevet!][NiaCouret][I'm spelling these wrong.]
Before the show, when we were waiting [for an hour] for the bands to come out, I was talking about how amazing it was that no one can smoke [because Natalia brought up that because most of the people at the show were in highschool [it was funny [I wasn't nearly one of the shortest]] it meant that less people would be drinking and spilling their beers on you] And I was going on and on about how great it was and then I remembered that she smoked. And we laughed and then in the subway twice on the way home different people lit up cigarettes while they waited for the train! ... um this isn't funny. but it was last night. Because it was karma for me saying things out loud.
I'm happy I went to the show because the first two opening bands were very nice. The first band had two guys, guitar and drums.. very folky. I'm loving it though. I'm this [] close to listening to country music. [not really but almost [ I'm going to ask my dad if he has any folky stuff]] So then this guy tells us he just graduated from highschool and immediately his credibility flew out his butthole. But then I didn't care because he had some good lyrics and knew how to play the guitar. and sing. which I hear is important when you are in a band. His brother was the one on drums and he was skipping a week of highschool to play. And these kids were from some country town [not unlike Inverness Florida, I'm sure] And he was so blasted happy to be in the city and have people clap for him.
For his last song he explained the lyrics were by his mother, who is also a song writer, and ohwhatatreat! she was there to sing with him! And it was so... cute and embarrassing but no one cared and let him have his day. Because, as his mother informed us, it was his 19th birthday.
The song was about the first time she saw a homeless person. The imagery in the song was wonderful, there was something about the subway and a river.. [I ran into her in the subway, actually, and told her I thought it was beautiful. She said thank you.]
So that kid was Willy Mason. He only had a few burned cd's for sale.. so who knows when I'll hear those songs again [Travis said he ran into them on ebay once..]
THE NEXT BAND was totally awesome. Instead of drums for percussion they had a TAP DANCER decked out in pink stockings and white shoes with a short skirt. There was a keyboarder [the guy from Bright Eyes] and a guitarist and two chicks [besides the tap dancer] that played little kid instruments and tambourines and garbage can tops and there was clapping. [at one point the tap dancer played luggage with drum sticks] The two girls looked like California and pretty and had short skirts and sang at the same time.
Everything was rather happy and they were always smiling. They would be in the middle of a song and I would realize they have a tap dancer and I'd just start smiling until I laughed. They are called Tilly in the Wall I believe.
Bright Eyes was next and it was Conor, the Keyboardist, the Drummer, and Ben Kweller on another keyboard. Conor was drunk as usual.. but he was very happy. I saw more personality in him last night than I ever have before [in ALL of the two other times I've seen him] He was laughing and happy to be there. [Not at all like when I saw him in Orlando][!remember doing cartwheels in that lawn in front of that big building that belonged in New York? And ripped skirts.. and gross gas station food [and I never found half of that beef and cheese stick thing..ew]
I didn't know a lot of the songs because I haven't really kept up with them for a while. But things weren't too sad. Someone asked him to play a song, but he said it would make him too sad. He wanted to stay smiling.
During their set some chick dressed in regurgitated pop hipster attire, of course, with a green trucker hat that screamed DRUNK in bright yellow letters, worked her way up to the front holding a bottle of JackDaniels for Conor. [oh brother] She yelled really close to Travis' face [just like he did to ours the night before] "I'M NOT STAYING UP HERE THIS IS FOR CONOR AFTER THE SONG I'M NOT STAYING I JUST WANT TO GIVE THIS TO CONOR DONT WORRY IM GIVING THIS TO HIM AFTER THE SONG I'M GIVING HIM THIS BOTTLE" ..etc
She put it on the stage and Conor said thank you even though he didn't mean it and the girl was gone. THEN after every song for about four songs a voice would scream from the back, "DRINK THE WHISKEY!" .. and he never did. And he left it on the stage. Because, duh.
So, they did the whole encore thing and he brought out Ben and some others to play .. some two guys, I'm not sure who they were. Conor begged Ben to play this song that is going to be on his album in March. Conor was going to play guitar but before the song started he decided he wanted to play drums and as he was taking off his guitar he stumbled and hit his head on the mic. And it was sad and funny. [He apologized and said they had each had 4 hits of acid before the show [and I really hope that was a joke]] But he totally had to start two songs over again because he forgot the lyrics. The second time he said he hoped we didn't think he was a drunk stoner and he sounded sincere. [I think as a performer you have a responsibility to be coherent enough to know your own lyrics.] Even though I think the second time they weren't his lyrics.
Anyway so Conor giggles his way to the drums and as the song starts he realizes out loud, "I don't know how to play the drums" He was out of control. But he was happy. I'm not sure what that means.
Ben's song was very nice and I don't want to wait until March to hear it again. [I know I know.. Kazaa Schmazaa, I'll look for it] Conor had a chick from Tilly come out and sing a song that they "use to sing when [they] were kids" Everyone was very affectionate. Hugging and kissing and looking in each other's eyes.
After the show I ran into this kid Jack from SVA.. He lives in New Jersey. He seems real, but we hardly run into each other. He'd make a good friend. I met his girlfriend Emily and she was a nice gal.
Travis, Corrie, Natalia and I went to get something to drink and then headed on home. I got to the NewRes with the intent of making my way back to Brooklyn, but I got comfortable and decided to stay again. We all agreed that I'll stay over there every Thursday. I can live there three days a week [that's all that is allowed] But Nancy would get lonely. She gave me a hard time for being away when I got home. haha. And then she taught me how to make rice and beans and gave me her flan recipe. I'm going to make some for Thanksgiving. [and eventually for 6B]
Last night I sat down and made a to do list. I make them all of the time. I have to sort everything out. I stared at the list for an hour and revised it over and over. I wanted to be up and out by 11am. I didn't get out of bed until 1:30pm. That is horrible because it meant I only had 3 hours of daylight. [the sun begins to set at 4:30pm here. and that is depressing]
I went to Times Square, and then to an art store and bought MASKING TAPE.. finally. I don't even have to use it but it makes me feel secure to have it. I bought a glue stick and two pens [one of them with a super fine tip of the likes I've never seen] and some black art tape. And an 11X14 portfolio to put my prints in. Then I went to K&M and bought a 50 pack of 11X14's [expen.sive]
Then Jen, Joe and I went to print. I spent like .. three or four hours in the darkroom and only printed one contact sheet worth of prints alsdkjf and I have so many more to go. I'm probably going to have to buy more 11X14's blah blha blh.
Haha.. man I was in such a short mood in the darkroom. I hate printing. I think it's stupid. I never ever thought I'd lean toward digital, but it's so blasted easy and convenient, and my hands don't reek of chemicals afterwards. So instead of printing all over again because of some fat hair, I just click it away. [that's lame though.. I'm not giving up on printing I just need to have time to print and not feel rushed.. or feel like I'm wasting money every time I have to print another sheet because I need to burn or dodge or something. Anyway, I think I was mean in the darkroom. Joe called it "surly" haha.
So I went back to NewRes and sat there staring at my to do list again and then I made a calender on the back of it and realized I only have about a week and a half left to finish my work for the semester.. and I started shaking as if I hadn't eaten anything [even though I had some Frank's pizza before printing] I think I get this way before I leave to go somewhere. Because on Tuesday I am coming home.
And now that I've mentioned this, I have to go because I want to clean my room even though it already is [because this is what I do when I flip out] and then I'll make another to do list and then revise it and then go to bed.
Longest entry of your life.
I'll smell you soon?
I stayed in the city the past two nights at my Manhattan house. NewRes 6B is the place to be. I'm really happy to have people like Jen, Kate, Kelley, and Lianna in my life. They make me happy and they are glad I don't have cancer. And sometimes Lianna cooks dinner for me and we all pig out on Tofutii icecream. Joe is great too.
Anyway, I've been wearing the same clothes for the past three days and I didn't even like what I was wearing in the first place [this mostly having to do with my wearing black almost dressy shoes with jeans] But it was cold and my tennis shoes had holes in them! Tennis Shoes. I play tennis in them. ! I want to play tennis.
I will be home in three days and it will make me the happiest boy alive.
Last night I was walking into the NewRes [New Residence Dorm] and I saw Travis and Veronica outside. But this time Travis wasn't drunk and yelling really close to my face about "Tom and Jerry's" being the best icecream ever. [he'd be embarrassed that I wrote that] Anyway he tells me he's going to Bright Eyes and I told him that I didn't know about it in time to get a ticket [because even though there are tons of shows in the city, you have to know about them a month in advance [at least] because they sell out like ... like.. yourmother.]
So I says, I ain't got no ticket and he says he's got an extra one. And I says, !. He tells me they are selling on Ebay for $100 [I almost put a link to Ebay because I think it would be very funny][but I didn't so don't even try it!] But he would sell it to me for $20. Meh. So I went.
And it was hot outside. And by hot I mean 55 degrees.. but it felt warm. We [Travis and these two hip girls, Corrie [who hated being touched and was flipping out at the show] and Natalia [some chick from Russia [even though I didn't hear an accent] that I rode the subway halfway home with and she taught me some russian][Prevet!][NiaCouret][I'm spelling these wrong.]
Before the show, when we were waiting [for an hour] for the bands to come out, I was talking about how amazing it was that no one can smoke [because Natalia brought up that because most of the people at the show were in highschool [it was funny [I wasn't nearly one of the shortest]] it meant that less people would be drinking and spilling their beers on you] And I was going on and on about how great it was and then I remembered that she smoked. And we laughed and then in the subway twice on the way home different people lit up cigarettes while they waited for the train! ... um this isn't funny. but it was last night. Because it was karma for me saying things out loud.
I'm happy I went to the show because the first two opening bands were very nice. The first band had two guys, guitar and drums.. very folky. I'm loving it though. I'm this [] close to listening to country music. [not really but almost [ I'm going to ask my dad if he has any folky stuff]] So then this guy tells us he just graduated from highschool and immediately his credibility flew out his butthole. But then I didn't care because he had some good lyrics and knew how to play the guitar. and sing. which I hear is important when you are in a band. His brother was the one on drums and he was skipping a week of highschool to play. And these kids were from some country town [not unlike Inverness Florida, I'm sure] And he was so blasted happy to be in the city and have people clap for him.
For his last song he explained the lyrics were by his mother, who is also a song writer, and ohwhatatreat! she was there to sing with him! And it was so... cute and embarrassing but no one cared and let him have his day. Because, as his mother informed us, it was his 19th birthday.
The song was about the first time she saw a homeless person. The imagery in the song was wonderful, there was something about the subway and a river.. [I ran into her in the subway, actually, and told her I thought it was beautiful. She said thank you.]
So that kid was Willy Mason. He only had a few burned cd's for sale.. so who knows when I'll hear those songs again [Travis said he ran into them on ebay once..]
THE NEXT BAND was totally awesome. Instead of drums for percussion they had a TAP DANCER decked out in pink stockings and white shoes with a short skirt. There was a keyboarder [the guy from Bright Eyes] and a guitarist and two chicks [besides the tap dancer] that played little kid instruments and tambourines and garbage can tops and there was clapping. [at one point the tap dancer played luggage with drum sticks] The two girls looked like California and pretty and had short skirts and sang at the same time.
Everything was rather happy and they were always smiling. They would be in the middle of a song and I would realize they have a tap dancer and I'd just start smiling until I laughed. They are called Tilly in the Wall I believe.
Bright Eyes was next and it was Conor, the Keyboardist, the Drummer, and Ben Kweller on another keyboard. Conor was drunk as usual.. but he was very happy. I saw more personality in him last night than I ever have before [in ALL of the two other times I've seen him] He was laughing and happy to be there. [Not at all like when I saw him in Orlando][!remember doing cartwheels in that lawn in front of that big building that belonged in New York? And ripped skirts.. and gross gas station food [and I never found half of that beef and cheese stick thing..ew]
I didn't know a lot of the songs because I haven't really kept up with them for a while. But things weren't too sad. Someone asked him to play a song, but he said it would make him too sad. He wanted to stay smiling.
During their set some chick dressed in regurgitated pop hipster attire, of course, with a green trucker hat that screamed DRUNK in bright yellow letters, worked her way up to the front holding a bottle of JackDaniels for Conor. [oh brother] She yelled really close to Travis' face [just like he did to ours the night before] "I'M NOT STAYING UP HERE THIS IS FOR CONOR AFTER THE SONG I'M NOT STAYING I JUST WANT TO GIVE THIS TO CONOR DONT WORRY IM GIVING THIS TO HIM AFTER THE SONG I'M GIVING HIM THIS BOTTLE" ..etc
She put it on the stage and Conor said thank you even though he didn't mean it and the girl was gone. THEN after every song for about four songs a voice would scream from the back, "DRINK THE WHISKEY!" .. and he never did. And he left it on the stage. Because, duh.
So, they did the whole encore thing and he brought out Ben and some others to play .. some two guys, I'm not sure who they were. Conor begged Ben to play this song that is going to be on his album in March. Conor was going to play guitar but before the song started he decided he wanted to play drums and as he was taking off his guitar he stumbled and hit his head on the mic. And it was sad and funny. [He apologized and said they had each had 4 hits of acid before the show [and I really hope that was a joke]] But he totally had to start two songs over again because he forgot the lyrics. The second time he said he hoped we didn't think he was a drunk stoner and he sounded sincere. [I think as a performer you have a responsibility to be coherent enough to know your own lyrics.] Even though I think the second time they weren't his lyrics.
Anyway so Conor giggles his way to the drums and as the song starts he realizes out loud, "I don't know how to play the drums" He was out of control. But he was happy. I'm not sure what that means.
Ben's song was very nice and I don't want to wait until March to hear it again. [I know I know.. Kazaa Schmazaa, I'll look for it] Conor had a chick from Tilly come out and sing a song that they "use to sing when [they] were kids" Everyone was very affectionate. Hugging and kissing and looking in each other's eyes.
After the show I ran into this kid Jack from SVA.. He lives in New Jersey. He seems real, but we hardly run into each other. He'd make a good friend. I met his girlfriend Emily and she was a nice gal.
Travis, Corrie, Natalia and I went to get something to drink and then headed on home. I got to the NewRes with the intent of making my way back to Brooklyn, but I got comfortable and decided to stay again. We all agreed that I'll stay over there every Thursday. I can live there three days a week [that's all that is allowed] But Nancy would get lonely. She gave me a hard time for being away when I got home. haha. And then she taught me how to make rice and beans and gave me her flan recipe. I'm going to make some for Thanksgiving. [and eventually for 6B]
Last night I sat down and made a to do list. I make them all of the time. I have to sort everything out. I stared at the list for an hour and revised it over and over. I wanted to be up and out by 11am. I didn't get out of bed until 1:30pm. That is horrible because it meant I only had 3 hours of daylight. [the sun begins to set at 4:30pm here. and that is depressing]
I went to Times Square, and then to an art store and bought MASKING TAPE.. finally. I don't even have to use it but it makes me feel secure to have it. I bought a glue stick and two pens [one of them with a super fine tip of the likes I've never seen] and some black art tape. And an 11X14 portfolio to put my prints in. Then I went to K&M and bought a 50 pack of 11X14's [expen.sive]
Then Jen, Joe and I went to print. I spent like .. three or four hours in the darkroom and only printed one contact sheet worth of prints alsdkjf and I have so many more to go. I'm probably going to have to buy more 11X14's blah blha blh.
Haha.. man I was in such a short mood in the darkroom. I hate printing. I think it's stupid. I never ever thought I'd lean toward digital, but it's so blasted easy and convenient, and my hands don't reek of chemicals afterwards. So instead of printing all over again because of some fat hair, I just click it away. [that's lame though.. I'm not giving up on printing I just need to have time to print and not feel rushed.. or feel like I'm wasting money every time I have to print another sheet because I need to burn or dodge or something. Anyway, I think I was mean in the darkroom. Joe called it "surly" haha.
So I went back to NewRes and sat there staring at my to do list again and then I made a calender on the back of it and realized I only have about a week and a half left to finish my work for the semester.. and I started shaking as if I hadn't eaten anything [even though I had some Frank's pizza before printing] I think I get this way before I leave to go somewhere. Because on Tuesday I am coming home.
And now that I've mentioned this, I have to go because I want to clean my room even though it already is [because this is what I do when I flip out] and then I'll make another to do list and then revise it and then go to bed.
Longest entry of your life.
I'll smell you soon?